FMDS-UPOU has two new projects under the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI)

Two new UP Open University (UPOU) projects submitted to the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) were approved for implementation. The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), through the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS), has been a member of the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative since 2012.

For the Satoyama Development Mechanism (SDM) 2017 Project , 23 applications were submitted to the SDM Secretariat and only six applications were selected that are deemed most promising for the implementation and promotion of the concept of the Satoyama Initiative. FMDS-UPOU’s submission is “Contextualization of the Instructional Materials for the Training of Youths toward Conservation of Ifugao Rice Terraces as a Satoyama Landscape” in partnership with the existing project of UPOU in Ifugao which is the Youth for Ifugao Rice Terraces. This project aims to contextualize through translation the instructional materials for the training of youths toward conservation of Ifugao Rice Terraces as Satoyama landscape. The said project will run from January 2018 to January 2019.

For the IPSI Collaborative Activity, which are activities undertaken by two or more members of IPSI, UPOU’s project is “Development and sharing of multimedia learning resources for Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Satoyama.” This is a collaborative activity between UPOU and Kanazawa University (KU). UPOU and KU have collaborated in various projects related to the conservation and sustainable development of Ifugao Rice Terraces since 2013.

IPSI is comprised of 202 member organizations committed to supporting socio ecological landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) for the benefit of biodiversity and human well-being through the implementation of their respective activities. (NDSAlazada)

UPOU faculty, staff, and students participate in the 2017 APRU Global Health Conference

UP Open University (UPOU) participated in the 11th Annual Workshop of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference held on 16-19 October 2017 at Novotel Hotel, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines and organized by the University of the Philippines (UP) System.

This year’s theme, “Environmental Exposures & Cancer in the Pacific Rim,” aimed to pro-mote collaboration and exchange of latest research and knowledge among health experts and practitioners, researchers, and policymakers in relation to prevention of cancer and other non-communicable diseases, environmental health, and occupational health.

Two pre-conference workshops were held. The first one tackled drug and substance abuse in the Philippines. The invited speakers were Mr. Benjamin Reyes from the Philip-pine Dangerous Drugs Board, who talked about The State of the Drug and Substance Abuse in the Philippines; Mr. Joselito Pascual from UP Manila, who discussed Psycho-tropic Drugs and Mental Health; and Mr. Patrick Louis Angeles from NoBox Transitions Foundation, who discussed Approaches to Addressing the Drug and Substance Abuse Problem: Learning from the Experiences of Other Countries. Speakers during the second workshop were Asst. Prof. Naruemon Thabchumpon from Chulalongkorn University; Mr. Marc Schenker from University of California, Davis; Ms. Mellissa Withers, APRU Program Director from University of Southern California; Ms. Maruja Asis from Scalabrini Migration Center, Philippines; and Prof. Veronica Ramirez from University of Asia and the Pacific. They all talked about migration and health in the Pacific Rim.

Dr. Curtis Harris, the invited keynote speaker from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, also talked about “Precision medicine strategy: Environment and human cancer.” The work-shop concluded with a field trip featuring the UP Campus and the National Museum of Fine Arts.

The Faculty of Management of Development Studies (FMDS), led by Asst. Prof. Myra Oruga, Diploma in/Master of International Health (D/MIH) Program Chair and 2017 APRU Global Health Conference Local Organizing Committee Member, was one of the participating institutions that helped in facilitating the event. UPOU’s Multimedia Center, including Ms. Luisa Gelisan, UPOU Networks Program Development Associate (PDA), provided video coverage for the conference. Staff members from the Information Office and FMDS lent administrative support. Some students from the D/MIH Program also participated in the conference.

APRU, of which UP is a member, is a consortium of leading research universities located in countries and regions in the Pacific Rim. It aims to foster collaboration between member universities, thereby contributing to the economic, scientific and cultural advancement in the region. (JRBagos)

FMDS Research Ethics Committee conducts 2nd wave of training workshop

The UPOU Faculty of Management and Development Studies-Research Ethics Committee (FMDS-REC) conducted its 2nd training workshop on 24-25 August 2017 in preparation for the University of the Philippines Open University’s Institutional Review Board (UPOU-IRB) accreditation to the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (DOST-PHREB).

In the first workshop conducted last November 2016, it was suggested to make the accreditation university-wide and not only for the FMDS. The creation of a fully-accredited IRB is in line with UPOU’s thrust to ensure that the research conducted by its students and academic staff protects the rights of its human participants, the research activities undertaken are ethically sound, and the research is done in a way that serves the interest of society as a whole.

During the two-day activity, a writing workshop was done for the finalization of the ethics’ Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manual. The SOP manual was initially consolidated by Asst. Prof. Myra Oruga, Chair of the FMDS-REC and the Diploma in/Master of International Health (D/MIH) Programs; and Ms. Jelaine Bagos, Research Assistant of the D/MIH Programs, and was revised during the first write-shop. Among the topics discussed in the SOP manual are as follows: (1) Selection and appointment of Members; (2) Management of initial submissions and resubmissions; (3) Review of progress, final, and early termination reports and protocol amendments; (4) Expedited review; (5) Full review; (6) Preparing for a meeting; (7) Communicating REC decisions; (8) Managing active files; and (9) Archiving of terminated, inactive, or completed files.

As agreed in the workshop, a Round Table Discussion will follow on 23 October 2017 to finalize the organizational chart and additional policies and guidelines needed for the accreditation.